Network Analysis: Functional Connectivity

Network Analysis is an advanced, 5-day workshop designed for investigators having familiarity with the basic principles of fMRI data acquisition, statistical analysis using the general linear model, and substantial practical experience using SPM.

The presentations will provide an introduction to network analysis using SPM8, FSL and AFNI along with practical demonstrations tied to the key conceptual issues. The focus will be on techniques other than the usual massively univariate analyses commonly used for modeling fMRI data. Topics covered will include functional connectivity examined using bivariate correlation or regression, independent components analysis and graph theory.

Participant Preparation: The workshop will involve demonstrations and interactive exercises involving SPM8, its extensions and associated programs. These demonstrations will be integrated with the didactic portions of the lectures.

The interactive software exercises will demonstrate the details of the various data modeling techniques and participants will gain practical experience through the worked examples. Therefore, to gain the full benefit from the program, we ask that participants bring laptops with MATLAB and SPM8 installed. Detailed setup instructions can be found here.

Registration information for this program may be found here.

Information about accomodations for the Boston courses may be found here.

The Boston courses are held in the 5th floor conference room at the Constitution Inn in Charlestown, MA..

Questions about the course arrangements or content should be directed to admin@neurometrika.org

The faculty are Tom Zeffiro, Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli, and Robert Savoy.

 

Tentative Schedule

Day 1

 Background to network analysis

9:00AM-12:00PM

  • Introduction and software installation
  • The uses of network analysis
  • Principles of correlation and regression

12:00PM-1:00PM Lunch

1:00PM-5:00PM

  • Preprocessing
  • Modeling, estimation and inference in functional neuroimaging
  • First Level Design and Analysis
  • Design workshop introduction
  • Homework assignment - Single subject block design analysis

 

Day 2

Functional connectivity - Bivariate correlation and ICA/PCA

9:00AM-1:00PM

  • Homework review - single-subject task analysis
  • ROI extraction techniques
  • Introduction to functional connectivity analysis
  • The connectivity toolbox
  • Functional connectivity toolbox demonstrations
    • Resting state experiment
  • In class single subject tutorial
  • Homework Assignment - single subject analysis using the connectivity toolbox

CONN - The functional connectivity toolbox can be found here.

The functional connectivity toolbox manual can be found here.

Connectivity Toolbox dataflow chart

Here is a single-subject analysis exercise.

1:00PM-2:00PM Lunch

2:00PM-4:00PM

  • Multivariate pattern detection techniques
  • Functional connectivity examined using multiple regression in SPM8

 4:00PM-6:00PM Design workshop

Day 3

Functional connectivity - Connectivity Toolbox

9:00AM-12:00PM

  • Review of single-subject functional connectivity analysis homework
  • Using CONN for group analysis
  • Group analysis demo

Here are some example connectivity toolbox batch files:

complete batch file - setup - preprocessing - analyses - results

12:00PM-1:00PM Lunch

1:00PM-4:00PM

  • CONN practice sessions
  • Homework assignment group analysis (NYU data set)

4:00PM-5:30PM Design workshop

Day 4

Functional connectivity- Graph Theory and ROI Methods

9:00AM-12:00PM

  • Review of group functional connectivity analysis homework
  • Graph theory
  • New features in the connectivity toolbox

The single-subject graph theory demonstration instructions can be found here.

12:00PM-1:00PM Lunch

1:00PM-4:00PM

  • Artifact mitigation Using ART
  • ART demo
  • Using REX for region extraction

4:00PM-5:30PM Design workshop

Day 5

Functional connectivity - AFNI, FSL and PPI

9:00AM-12:00PM

  • Functional connectivity with AFNI
  • Functional connectivity with FSL - MELODIC

12:00PM-1:00PM Lunch

1:00PM-3:00PM

  • Psychophysiological and physiophysiological interactions

3:00PM-5:00PM

  • Design workshop group presentations


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